Benfica defeated Real Madrid 4-2 on Matchday 8 of the UEFA Champions League league phase. After the match, Benfica head coach José Mourinho attended the post-match press conference.
Before the game, I asked you what kind of match you expected, and you said it was unpredictable. With this ending, it became even more unpredictable. When we saw you gesture for the goalkeeper to go into the opposition box, what were you feeling? What went through your mind when you watched Trubin jump, head the ball, and watch it fly into Real Madrid’s net? Can you explain?
Mourinho: I can explain. I’ve won games, I’ve lost games. I’ve won knockout ties, I’ve been eliminated in the final minute. But I have never witnessed a moment like this — a goalkeeper scoring a wonderful goal that even the best strikers in the world would envy. So the emotion in that moment was extremely, extremely intense. Even someone like me, who thinks he has seen it all, realized today that I haven’t actually experienced everything.
The truly ironic, absurd, and at the same time deeply painful moment was that I brought on Antonio and Ivanovic to “close the door” and see the game out, because the information I had was that the score was enough — just winning was enough. Then, right after I sent them on, a goal went in somewhere, and someone told me the result was no longer sufficient, and we were out of the qualifying spots. Even the players themselves didn’t understand what was happening. They saw the manager make defensive substitutions, thinking we were going to shut the game down, only for it to suddenly become: we had to score another goal. Even Trubin himself didn’t fully understand what was going on.
Later we won a wide free kick, and at that moment, you have to risk everything. But I didn’t send everyone forward, because my thought was: if we can’t win 4-2, at least win 3-2. Like I said before the game: either kill the opponent standing up, or die standing up. Today, we died standing up. We won 3-2, and we died standing up. Then this big guy scored an unbelievable goal.
For Benfica, this was a magical night, no matter what happens in the future. I know we might face Inter Milan or Real Madrid next, but either way, this is a night to remember. Especially for the young Benfica fans, this night was incredible. I’m incredibly happy for the players. They deserve everything. They played an absolutely extraordinary match. I’m really, really happy for these players.
You have experienced so much in football. Is this one of the most special moments you’ve ever been through? And that embrace with Arbeloa at full time — what did he say to you? What did you say to him?
Mourinho: For Arbeloa, this is football. In that moment, you forget it’s Real Madrid. You forget who is on the bench. You forget everything. It’s just football. No apologies needed.
Winning in such a way late on is already stunning and full of emotion. I saw all the players — even those not in the matchday squad — run onto the pitch. What will this bring to the team in the future?
Mourinho: The team remains the same team. This is who they have been since the first day I started coaching them. This is a united group, good players, players willing to work. They suffer when results are bad, and they fight hard to achieve positive things. They don’t give up. They fight until the end.
I remember before Matchday 5, we had zero points. Yes, we still had to play Napoli, Real Madrid and Juventus. But they fought until the end, and they did what I asked today: either kill the opponent or die standing up. If we had won 3-2 today and still gone out, I would still have died standing up.
So I don’t think we “won a lot”. What we won is another important night at the Estádio da Luz, another knockout chance against European giants. Financially, it means almost nothing — just a little more income. But in terms of prestige, the impact is huge. Perhaps — and I stress perhaps, with enormous emotional reserve — I hope the players gain a little more respect because of this, even just a little bit.
Is this Real Madrid side you saw today capable of competing until the end in every competition? Did Benfica have the upper hand tactically and physically?
Mourinho: I understand you want to analyze Real Madrid, but I only focus on Benfica and my players. We played an incredible game. These players can kill opponents. We played very well against Bayer Leverkusen but lost; we played very well against Napoli and won. At this level, if you are not perfect, you get beaten.
Are there any guarantees about your future? Is this also a response to your critics?
Mourinho: I am not important. Really not important. Some things cannot be erased — my career cannot be erased. But I am not talking about myself. I am talking about Benfica, about this team, about these players. They may not be the best in the world, but they are definitely not the worst, and they deserve more respect.
On Schjelderup.
Mourinho: He has started the last four games. Started against Juventus, started against Rio Ave, and also played at the Estádio do Dragão. He did go through a period where he didn’t play much, but now he is much better than when I first arrived, and much closer to the player I want him to be. He did things today he couldn’t do before. No player plays every week. Some players have reached their ceiling, but he still has a long way to go. Saying he “can’t get a game” is different from saying he’s going to be sold. Having offers doesn’t mean we want to sell. His target is the World Cup, and the path to the World Cup runs through matches like this. I’m very happy for him and extremely proud of the whole group.
On the upcoming knockout ties against Real Madrid or Inter Milan.
Mourinho: Two-legged ties are harder than single matches. We are building a team, not relying on individuals. We lost to Chelsea, but we competed. We lost to Juventus, but we competed. We beat Real Madrid today because we played a great match. We will enjoy this moment first, then focus on the league and keep winning. If the league leader doesn’t drop points, you can’t do anything but keep winning. We will have more options in the next round. Like the Spanish say: “Vamos por ellos” — Let’s go for them.